Police occupy Tuba factory as workers leave it for BGMEA Bhaban

Police on Wednesday morning occupied the entire Hossain Market in the city's Uttar Badda which houses 5 readymade garment factories of Tuba Group after most of the workers left it for BGMEA Bhaban in Karwan Bazar to receive dues. However, those who were observing the indefinite hunger strike at the five RMG units stayed at the factories and continued their fast-unto-death programme to realise their demands, including three-month’s wages and other allowances. The agitating workers alleged police entered the premises of the factories in the morning to ‘clear out’ activists of various labour organisations who are staging peaceful demonstrations for full payment of their three months' outstanding salaries and Eid bonus. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) started disbursement to Tuba workers two months, out of three months, outstanding salaries around 10:30am and thirty Tuba workers received their salaries till then, the apparel makers and exporters’ apex body said. More Tuba workers started to come to the BGMEA Bhaban to collect their dues, it claimed. Earlier, around 1,000 protesting workers remained confined in Hossain Market for several hours as police locked all the entries of the building. Officer-in-charge of Badda Police Station MA Jalil claimed they locked the entries so that the workers could not carry out vandalism on the nearby streets. Later, police opened the lock around 12:25am to let the workers leave the factories for the BGMEA headquarters, report agencies.